FEATURE ARTICLES

In these difficult financial times, electro-biomedical engineering departments are seeking ways to improve efficiency, consolidate the costs of multi-vendor service contracts, maximise the uptime of expensive equipment and ensure the safety of medical devices.

The changes to practice that operating theatres would have to make, to reduce this preventable harm, are few, simple and low cost, according to KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS. However, best practice is not being followed in many instances.

PROFESSOR CHRIS REDMAN, Emeritus professor of obstetric medicine, Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, speaks to The Clinical Services Journal about the key challenges of detecting fetal distress, using antepartum cardiotocography, in order to improve outcomes.

How do you gain organisational buy-in to infection prevention? This was one of the key questions examined at the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) annual conference, recently held at ExCel, London. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The NHS is placing greater emphasis on introducing systems that will have a positive impact on clinical outcomes and patient safety, with initiatives such as the ‘Safer Wards, Safer Hospitals’ Technology Fund.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS provides an insight into policy, principles and guidance aimed at improving the quality of care and outcomes for vulnerable adults in the healthcare setting.

A new hospital guide has been published with the aim of helping hospitals to improve their standards of nutrition and hydration care, particularly among the elderly and to help Trusts navigate the complexities involved in delivering good nutritional care.

SUZANNE CALLANDER reports on recent developments surrounding a non-invasive solution for the treatment of established bone fracture non-union.

The latest Reducing HCAIs conference, Supporting community health, takes place at the Brewery, London, on the 10 October. The Clinical Services Journal provides a preview of the topics that will be discussed.

A radical new vision for the ‘future hospital’ has been outlined in a report, which suggests that ‘care should come to the patient’, while patient experience should be considered as important as outcomes.

Several study findings presented at The EuroPRevent 2013 Congress, organised by the European Society for Cardiology to focus on preventive cardiology, highlighted some of the less well known or understood risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

It may look clean… but who cleaned it and is it really clean? MARTIN KIERNAN calls on organisations to be brave enough to discover the truth about the effectiveness of cleaning in their establishments.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is currently facing its greatest ever challenge in its mission to provide a safe, sufficient blood supply for patients, as transfusion scientist BARRY HILL discovered in an interview with NHSBT spokesperson JON LATHAM.

In light of the Francis Report, Trusts are making a renewed effort to improve processes for capturing and sharing critical data, such as patient observations and information to support optimal care at the crucial handover period.

Trusts are being urged to use a toolkit, which focuses on the use of the National Early Warning Score, to ensure that seriously ill patients receive prompt and safe care. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

A damning report by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death previously highlighted concerns that patients undergoing cosmetic procedures are not being properly protected.

Procurement has a key role to play in protecting front-line care and ensuring the NHS can live within the 2015-16 spending round commitments. As part of its policy to make the NHS more efficient and less bureaucratic, the Department of Health (DH) has recently published a document that sets out the details of the NHS Procurement Development Programme which aims to help the NHS save £1.5 billion by 2015-16.

Dr TIM SANDLE looks at best practices to avoid microbial contamination of hospital water systems, which can have serious consequences for patients as well as economic consequences for hospitals.

The world’s largest medical exhibition, MEDICA takes place 20-23 November 2013 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Clinical Services Journal provides an insight into the educational opportunities that are available at the event, as well as the latest innovations that will be showcased at the international trade fair.

Early adopters of RFID technology for mobile medical device management can now provide evidence of its benefits for tracking and managing vital hospital equipment. The Clinical Services Journal reports.